New Android Tab Navigation

by Nijat Ahmadli
Android Team Lead

When browsing the Internet, we are all familiar with the hamburger menu. The three lines at either top corners of the screen that signify there is more to interact with and view on this website. On mobile web, the hamburger menu was implemented to merge complex and large menu structures into a small piece of mobile screen real estate. However, as mobile screens have grown and as navigation speed has increased in importance, hamburger menus no longer make sense for the thumb navigation of modern users. This blog will examine the implementation of tab navigation and its launch on our Android apps.

In order to optimise navigation and bring destination access to the bottom of the screen many successful mobile apps have implemented navigation tabs. In regard to the iPhone, Poq has been no different, with navigation tabs in full effect from our inception as a company. However, Android has been a bit late to the party due to some limitations from Google and Android’s overall late adoption timing. Fortunately, many of these limitations have been lifted and tab navigation has become possible.

Once removed of restrictions, the Poq Android team dug into the data to understand whether its implementation would be worthwhile for Android users and their retailers. The team analysed Android sessions and wishlist views in comparison with users on iOS. They found that the persistent availability of navigation options at the bottom of the iOS app screen yielded 6x more wishlist views. Wishlist views hold great significance as they have been proven to increase the likelihood of conversion by 70%, making wishlist activity a key objective for app commerce.

So, what will the new tab navigation look like?

In line with Google’s Material Design Guidelines, we have designed our tab navigation to look and behave in the most exemplary way possible. The navigation bar will be located at the bottom of the screen with links to between three and five primary destinations within the app. Destinations such as Wishlist, My Account, Shop, and Home. Each destination will have an associated icon and when tapped the user is taken to the top-level navigation destination associated with the icon. Users will now have a far easier time navigating the app, making for a better Android user experience.

Our team’s decision to add the navigation bar falls in line with other industry leaders who have done the same. Google has implemented tab navigation on their own Youtube app while companies such as Spotify, Instagram, Netflix, and Airbnb have also made this design change and realised the benefits.

Looking forward, Google is working on Android Navigation Architecture Component that will make the implementation and persistence of navigation tabs on all screen types possible. While the release is still in alpha it holds great promise and once fully functional, we will implement it and make navigation persistent on very single screen in the near future.

The key benefit from tab navigation is the ability to switch between various app destinations without losing any context. As a consequence, wishlist activity increases. Having a persistent menu will optimise navigation and make the overall user experience far more fluid. Its implementation will ensure satisfied Android users and bring in higher revenue for retailers.

To learn more about the great features that Poq is working on, check out our public product roadmap.

Originally published at poqcommerce.com on January 7, 2019.